Back finally. Had a tooth pulled this morn of mom's, really did her in. She's sleeping right now, hasn't said she was in pain anyways which is good. She has an enlarged thyroid & in a couple weeks we'll go back to see what the bloodwork says about it. Who knows what all will go on now. Always something around here...I haven't been able to go on the treadmill for almost a week, today I plan on doing it! I do get used to it. If I walk that day w/youngest I usually don't use it, yesterday we walked to get the dog new toys, it was so nice yesterday. Tomorrow is our movie day so we walk to that. This weekend we clean out the garage, get rid of a bunch of junk to make room for the folks' junk. The next few weeks we'll be making trips to haul the crap from spot 1 to spot 2. What a long haul ahead. Youngest is excited for it all, gives him something to do anyways.

The weather here has been wonderful. I have definitely been working more on healthy eating since the past couple of weeks have been the pits.

I'm taking next week off. I don't really have any special plans. I have a few things I'd like to do at home, and a lot of things I'd like to do that I consider 'play.' I have priorities too. The 'play' comes first.

So in case I don't check back in tomorrow - have a great weekend/week.

It's been fairly nice here too, high 80s which isn't bad. Next week it looks to be in the 70s for a start...more like fall & I won't complain. Fall is my favorite time of year.Good for you, to do just what you want! Relax & take er easy. That's what time off is for anyways huh! Hope that the weather cooperates for you too that week. Usually it doesn't, seems to work that way anyhow...

Good Wednesday AM ladies. Looks like you've all been busy. I had a great week off last week. This week's awfully busy at work just playing 'catch-up.' Then I'm off next week for a week of painting. I'm looking forward to it.

Hope you're doing well. Everything's OK here. The weather's heating up again. My daughter brought home a huge watermelon last night. I cut it all up and I'm in heaven!

Took mom to dr yesterday, she does need surgery, only now we have to get a clearance from a cardiologist first before he will do the surgery. So, now we go in next week for that. I'm getting tired of it all! Much too much crap than what's needed.

Last week we had a day where we only got up to 59....it was sweet sleeping!! I liked it, tho I'm a sucker for fall. Right now I have a sweet juicy watermelon also & had super corn on the cob last night...yummy! And the tomatoes are doing well, I picked 2 the other day to bring in to eat. Soon too!

Corn on the cob. I've had some too and I love it. My brother said his tomatoes should be ready within a week. We had cool weather off and on, lots of rain and a short heat spell. It's been an odd summer. So it's taking them longer. He didn't get them out as early as usual either. He was working 6 days/10 hours daily. Too tired! I forgive him. Just give me them tomatoes!! Can't wait.

The watermelon is wonderful. I just finished some cantelope for breakfast this AM too. What a great time of year - for fruit and veggies only. I'm a 'fall' person, most definitely. I love the fall.

It's been over a week since I've been able to go on my treadmill, I feel bad for not doing any! But this week has been a nightmare with the folks, no time & by the time I do it's way too late in the day to do it. After next week my schedule changes since school starts, so I'll be getting up way earlier & staying up as late as I have to with mom, which could be past 11 sometimes. Woof! We'll see how it all goes. Within these next 2 weeks sometime mom hopefully will be having surgery to remove the thyroid, then she'll be able to eat better, get swallowing back to normal. And dad has to see a specialist for his kidneys this week also, long week ahead. Crappy bumpy road up ahead....But about the mill everyday....I gotta start it up again. Try to fit it in somehow before it's too late in the day. Soon it is going to be fall.....yay!! Doesn't bug me one bit. I'm lookin forward to it! Means no more having to run the cooler, it gets to bugging me after awhile. I like cooler nights to sleep also.

I had a wonderful week! I'm still in the midst of responding to work emails, but I decided to take a sneak in here.

Sorry to hear of your troubles with your folks, jenjs. It's definitely a bumpy road for you. I pray that things calm down somewhat.

The treadmill will probably help relieve some of your stress, when you're able to get back to it. School will help some too, because that will bring some sort of routine again. It will also keep your son occupied and with friends. I'm sure he'll be happy to go back.

I hope harley's doing well too.

It was a fantastic week of painting, laughter, and lots of walking! I've lost a few pounds. So I'm feeling pretty good.

Nice to see beb back....long week last week. Dad passed away last monday, been a sad & quick week. Now mom is having problems with her thyroid & we're waiting to see if the dr will do surgery or not. She had to go thru tests on her heart to see what kind of damage she has since she had bypass 16 yrs ago. He gave the ok to go ahead, but now it's up to the surgeon. Always something...School has started & youngest is glad he enjoyed the 1st day today. Still need to get on the tread & get moving. Glad you were able to to some walking last week, feels good huh!

Oh, jenjs, I'm so sorry about your dad. I know that when they're so sick it's easy to think 'it's for the best. They're sick. They're suffering.' Yet, that 'letting go' is tough. You are so busy right now. You really don't seem to have any time at all for you.

Yes, the walking does make me feel good. I hope you find some time soon to sneak in 10 - 15 mins here and there on the treadmill. It doesn't have to be done all at once. I've read a lot about that. I always thought because I didn't have 30 - 45 mins it wasn't good enough. That simply isn't so.

Good for you! Maybe a little here and there will be good for you - relieve stress, and give you some time (albeit minutes) for yourself.

I have vowed to take time for myself too. My daughter and her kids (3 1/2 yrs and 16 yrs) live with me. It's hard to find time for anything with a 3 1/2 yr old. She is the love of my life and brings so much joy and laughter into my home. BUT she wants and expects my undivided attention when I'm home. That isn't so easy. My daughter works nights because she makes more money that way. She's a CNA. Hard work and not much pay. Living together is definitely not ideal for either one of us but I could not stand the jerk she was with. She was married to my grandson's dad but discovered one day that he was involved with a good friend of hers (my daughter's friend). Well isn't that special! They lived at Lake of the Ozarks at the time. She was devastated. I won't go into all of it here. It would be a novel. But I went down there because I was so worried about her. She sounded horrible on the phone and she was just giving up, sounded suicidal. There's no man alive worth that. She left a good job there - Dept of Corrections - and moved back here. She had worked before at a nursing home prior to the Dept of Corrections position. She was even working there every other weekend when she moved home. So it was a natural to go back to CNA work. She was offered a transfer but in her daze it didn't dawn on her - or me for that matter - that she could possibly have transferred to a position close to home here - in the St. Louis area. Much, much more money and better benefits but that's in the past now. So she's working as a CNA and she does like it. But it isn't a good pay. She met this idiot and I knew he was trouble. But he caught her at the right time, a time when she was at her lowest. And now we have my granddaughter. Wouldn't change her for the world but the 2 yrs she was with that jerk were my worst nightmare. He doesn't work and his parents provide for him, he has addictions. Oh, that was a time. I threatened to take the kids away. I am definitely more fit than his family - but I want to be a grandma and not a mom to them. So to make a long story short - they are with me now and have been for a little over a year now. They're all 3 happy and healthy. That's impt. So we survive.

We all 3 seem to be very busy ladies. But we do have to make time for ourselves. Take care of yourself, jenjs. You're special and you deserve it!

I was able to go on the mill yesterday for 15, better than nothing. I'll try again this afternoon. I have very small windows to be able to do that! I was going to walk to school today, but hubs wasn't home yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to. That's at least a 30 min walk & outside.Yesterday was not a good day with mom. Had misunderstandings with her about my older sis, which isn't dad's natural child & didn't adopt. Now I'm really known not to matter to mom much at all. Sure she's not in the home anymore, but she's also not happy that she's with me & not the other sis she really likes. It's getting tiring not being appreciated by anyone for all we've been doing for the past year with the folks. Makes you wonder why even bother if no one really cares? No worries, just having a pity party for myself & poor hubs, who's really having a rough time with it all. My parents became his & he's really hit hard with dad.

I'm sorry that you're having the problems with your mom. I've never ever been through something like that and it has to be difficult. You do so much for her, and you did so much for your dad. They aren't really your husband's parents and he seems to be such a tremendous help. They (and now just she) live in your home - his home. That's a lot and no one else is helping you at all, i.e. your sister. What a shame.

You know, jenjs, that's even more reason to get a little time in for yourself. You definitely deserve it. You're giving up your home, your time, your energy and you deserve a little 'you time' in return. Of course, you and your husband should be proud of yourselves. You're doing everything that's right. I think it's great.

Sorry your hubby's having such a hard time with the loss of your dad. He seemed to go downhill very fast.

Mom had a rough nite last night. I have a baby monitor in her room & I have it in mine & she was calling out, so I went to check in with her. Bad bad. She could hardly walk to the bathroom & when I brought her back, she didn't walk, I had to carry/drag her back into her room. I'm not sure how she'll be this morning. Her oldest sister came by yesterday & she didn't like all that's going on either. Much too much, she's 17 yrs older than mom too & in such great shape. I really hope I end up like her, I really do.

You know, jenjs, maybe she's getting to a point where she needs a nursing home. Will Medicare help with that expense? I believe it will. If it gets to the point where she isn't mobile, you might consider other help. I don't know what you can and can't do physically for her, but for her sake and for your sake it might be best. Their bones become so brittle. What if she'd fall out of bed or something? In a home they would have rails on her bed. She could push a button and someone would help her.

I hope you end up like your aunt too. I sure don't want to be dependent on someone else. That would kill me! I'd rather be shot to be honest.

I had a good breakfast this morning and it's something I haven't had in ages - so simple too. It's cottage cheese, sweetner, cinnamon and almonds. You could add pecans or another nut. I eat it cold, but you could nuke it for about 15 seconds or so and take the chill off. It's called Mock Cinnabon. It's a recipe from SouthBeach Diet. I have dug out my book and am trying to go back and read a lot of the information in the book. It's really a healthy way of living/eating. There's also a link that I go to at times just to get new recipe ideas. It's free. Why not try it?

The cinnabon thing sounds yummy, I'm not a cott chs eater tho. But I am big on cinnamon!

Come tomorrow we're calling mom's dr & if he says so, we'll sdmit her into the hospital to get her a bit more stronger for her surgery, whether it be by feeding tube or IV. I don't care, I'm getting sick from watching her starve herself. She hates to listen to me but she sure listens to hubs, which is better than nothing. Last week tho she really has gotten on my last legs, pointing out pretty much that it doesn't matter what I do or say for her, it isn't enough or good enough. I'm to the point of giving her to the sis she actually wants to be staying with. And I know then sis will refuse because she's all messed up in her head, which she is, because she's alcoholic & has been a constant pot user for umpteen years. It really is a big mess.

jenjs, sure wish things would calm down in your life - of course, you really wish it. You do need a break. You do need some breathing room. So does your husband. Your family - your own little family - is extremely important. I see what you mean with your mom though. If she went to your sister, she wouldn't last at all. Those are some major problems. She's darn lucky to have you and your husband.

It is a good idea to call her MD and see about admitting her for a few days. She wouldn't survive - possibly - surgery if she's in such a weakened condition. If she doesn't want to eat, I wonder if she's just 'given up.' That could be too.

The weather is changing slightly here. I see some trees that are changing and I guess it's because we've really had a mild summer. Some leaves are beginning to fall. I just love the fall. Pumpkins. Scarecrows. Cornstalks. Cool temps. Open windows with really fresh air, with just a nip in it. Sweater weather but not coats. Bonfires. Wonderful time of year. I hope you are able to enjoy your fall, jenjs. You've had a really rought time of it.

I hope to enjoy it too, but we'll see. Waiting for the dr to call back, spoke with him this morn & he's supposed to get hold of the surgeon to see if it can be moved up. If not, in the hospital she'll go. This morning I did walk with youngest to school, it was soooo nice. I loved getting out of the house & into the fresh air. I do hope one way or the other I am able to enjoy all that fall has. I love the smell more than anything, all the leaves falling makes it smell so yummy & fresh. Almost as good as sheets on the line to dry..

I'm glad you out even if it was a short time. I love the smell of it. Funny you mentioned sheets drying on the line. I love that smell. Mom always did hang her laundry outside - even after she moved in with me because she wasn't well. She said she loved the smell. I did too. I'd walk in the house after work and I always knew when she had done laundry. They smell the best in the fall and spring when there's that 'crispness' in the air. I can remember a time when my kids were younger and I was a 'stay at home mom.' I had the sheets on the line. Brought them in, was ready to make the bed and got stung by a wasp. Ouch!! The sheets still smelled good though.

It's so nice to walk outside vs the treadmill or other indoor exercise. My dog helps me out in that area. He loves walks. So even if I get short ones it does help.